When Rolling Mix Concrete Ltd. applied to have their land designated for soil removal, residents of North Nechako turned out at the public hearing at city hall to protest the application. Rolling Mix Concrete won the day and the land was designated for soil removal. By applying for this soil removal designation, Rolling Mix Concrete understood that they would be bound by the City of Prince George’s gravel bylaw. If they wished to be only governed by the B.C. Mines Act, they could have chosen to purchase outside the city limits. By working inside the city limits, they must realize that the city is bound to protect its taxpaying residents from the adverse effects of gravel processing.
Over the last five years, for some North Nechako residents, life beside a gravel mine has improved considerably. Pittman Asphalt, which owns the gravel mine adjacent to us, meets with us to explain plans and to check on noise issues and berm placements. The manager discusses working hours and volunteers not to process gravel on Sundays and over our dinner hours. We realize that they are losing valuable processing time for the sake of our peace and quiet and this is much appreciated.
The gravel operators have made good progress with WorkSafe BC in their attempt to find alternatives to intrusive back up beepers noise. Pittman Asphalt worked with the city and the residents to create Bird Song Park, which includes a large treed buffer behind residents to protect them from the mine. Pittman Asphalt also has paid for more trees than required for the berm. They seeded part of the park meadow, set up beehives in the mine and they give us honey each autumn. They are currently working with us to install an osprey pole in Bird Song Park. This is the way it can work.
It is admirable to work together with the people who share the city with you to come up with solutions and compromises. A lack of communication with residents who share the neighbourhood with industry can backfire.
For years, residents have argued that mining setbacks from residential areas should be substantial. How admirable that the City of Prince George, after consulting with industry and residents, stepped up and recognized that setbacks are necessary.
If the court finds that Rolling Mix Concrete & Rock’n’Roll Aggregates Ltd. can work in a “legal non-conforming” manner to take gravel closer to residents, the company should meet with the affected residents and create a plan for fast removal of the gravel resource and even faster remediation of the land, including the planting of mature trees. The City of Prince George, or the court-mandated conditions should definitely insist that the company meet with the affected residents.
The benefit of paying high city taxes should be some protection because we are governed by “A Bylaw of the City of Prince George to regulate the removal and deposit of soil” as opposed to being solely governed under the less stringent B.C. Mines Act.
We can see that by being part of the City of Prince George we are valued and protected by this hundred metre set back to the mines. It makes sense. There is now a recognition that residents are a valuable resource as well.
Kathleen Haines and Geraldine Burbee
Prince George
